"Capturing, killing or hurting Prince Harry would be a huge propaganda coup for the Taliban," he said.

Former officer and editor of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom publication, Major Charles Heyman, said: "If we take him away the Taliban will crow that they have just scored a major victory."

The 28-year-old Prince will fly Apache helicopters out of Camp Bastion for the duration of his tour

"On balance it is a difficult equation but I think he should be kept there," he said.

Major Heyman added that Camp Bastion is regularly attacked and in most instances there are no severe casualties.

The International Security Assistance Force coalition (Isaf) in Afghanistan said the attack happened near an airfield on the north-east side of the base, which houses American forces in Camp Leatherneck.

A number of aircraft, hangars and other buildings were hit and badly damaged.

In a separate incident, a soldier with the 1st Grenadier Guards was killed on Saturday after his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province.